When facing a crisper drawer overflowing with vegetables, I like to make soup. This simple Italian white bean soup is a staple recipe. Chunks of potato, celery, zucchini, carrot and onion mingle with creamy beans in a tomato broth. Lunch, dinner, whenever. It’s pure comfort, a special delight among all the many wonderful Italian soups.
Ingredients for Italian White Bean Soup
- Olive oil: Perfect for sauteing the vegetables and adding a subtle fruity flavor. Melt a pat of butter in the olive oil for a touch more richness.
- Vegetables: Like many homemade soups, Italian white bean soup is filled with vegetables. Potato, carrot, onion, celery and zucchini join forces to make a wholesome, healthy soup.
- Jalapeno: When deseeded, jalapeno peppers lose much of their heat. Don’t discard the seeds if you like a kick. Leave the peppers out altogether if thoughts of the Scoville scale make you sweat.
- Beans: The creamy texture and mild flavor of navy beans are ideal for soups. I use canned beans in this recipe to cut cooking time and save myself the hassle of remembering to soak beans overnight.
- Broth: Either vegetable or chicken broth works as a soup base.
- Tomato sauce: A humble can of tomato sauce works hard in this recipe, thickening the broth and saturating it with a tangy, bright flavor.
- Herbs: Thyme and parsley are the herbs of choice for seasoning the broth. Since we’re simmering a soup, dried thyme and parsley are preferable, but fresh is fine too, especially as a finishing touch before serving.
Directions
Step 1: Saute the vegetables
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the potato and carrots for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onion, celery, zucchini and jalapeno. Stir and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until crisp-tender.
Step 2: Stir in the beans and broth
Add the beans, broth, tomato sauce, parsley and thyme.
Step 3: Simmer the soup
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the Dutch oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Italian White Bean Soup Variations
- Use more vegetables: You could add bell peppers, roasted red peppers, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli or cabbage.
- Add cheese: Grate a little Parmesan over the soup as a garnish.
- Try different herbs: Basil is brilliant in this soup, especially as a garnish, while a pinch of rosemary or oregano will infuse the broth with gorgeous Mediterranean flavor.
- Add meat: Sweet or spicy Italian sausage is outrageously good in Italian white bean soup. We’re also fans of adding cooked chicken, turkey, bacon or pancetta to the mix.
How to Store Italian White Bean Soup
Once you’ve cooked a lovely batch of soup, let it cool, then transfer the soup to airtight containers and store it in the refrigerator. The soup should keep for three to four days. If you have the shelf space, simply cover the Dutch oven and pop the whole thing in your fridge.
Can you freeze Italian white bean soup?
This is an excellent soup for freezing. Let the soup cool completely, then pour it into an airtight freezer-safe container. Frozen Italian white bean soup will last about two months.
How do you reheat Italian white bean soup?
To reheat, pour the soup into a saucepan and gently heat over medium. Stir every so often, and continue warming until it’s simmering and piping hot. Stir in additional broth or water as needed.
When reheating from frozen, allow the soup to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stovetop.
Italian White Bean Soup Tips
What’s the difference between navy beans, white beans and cannellini beans?
Many types of beans fall under the “white bean” category, including navy, cannellini, lima and Great Northern beans. The navy bean is quite small with a rounder shape compared to the larger kidney-shaped cannellini bean. Both have a creamy texture and a nutty, slightly earthy taste. Great Northern beans are midway between the two in size.
Should you use canned beans or dried beans for Italian white bean soup?
Do dried beans taste better than canned? It’s a matter of opinion. Some folks won’t budge on this one, extolling the superior taste and texture when cooking with dried beans. One thing I am sure of is that canned beans make life much, much easier. When I want to cook this soup on the fly, I head into the pantry and rummage for canned navy beans—no prep needed.
If you’re using dried beans, try quick soaking them before cooking. It saves loads of time and is the perfect solution when you’ve forgotten to soak the beans overnight.
What can you serve with Italian white bean soup?
Like Italian wedding soup and tortellini soup, enough is going on in the bowl to make Italian white bean soup a hearty one-bowl meal. Keep things simple with homemade Italian bread like focaccia and lighter sides like a spinach salad or a medley of grilled veggies. For more substantial sides, toasted ravioli, garlic knots or creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes are excellent.
